United Nations reports that this Donbas region is becoming one of the most mined areas in the world, Washington Post reports.

Anti-vehicle mines, in particular, kill more people here than anywhere else in the world, researchers say — surpassing victims in Syria, Yemen or battlefields across Africa, according to WP.

“Nobody knows how big the problem is,” said Henry Leach, the head of the Danish Demining Group’s program in Ukraine.

“We just know it’s big.” Land mines, booby traps and unexploded ordnance are sown across tens of thousands of acres — much of it off-limits because the fighting is still going on and because of obstructions raised by officials.

The HALO Trust, a humanitarian mine-clearance organization, estimates that land mines have caused 1,796 casualties in eastern Ukraine — among them 238 civilians killed and a further 491 injured — since the start of the war in 2014. The rate of casualties from mines and unexploded ordnance has increased over the years — a trend likely to continue as displaced families return to areas where fighting has subsided, now riddled with explosive remnants.

Deaths of three Ukrainian soldiers from a land mine blast here last year put the area on the radar of the Danish Demining Group. Its manpower is drawn from the local population — supervisors say risks are manageable and training takes just a few weeks. In the Donbas twilight zone, this job is attractive. Pay is decent, the task empowering. This site is expected to be cleared within a year.

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 26 times in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

The situation was tense in the Luhansk sector in the past day. In the afternoon, the enemy opened fire from infantry fighting vehicles, 120mm and 82mm mortars and grenade launchers near the village of Troyitske. After dark, the enemy lobbed twenty 152mm shells into the Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Prychepylivka, as well as used 82mm mortars to shell the defenders of the villages of Novo-Oleksandrivka and Luhanske. In the same direction, the occupiers actively used infantry weapons. In addition, the Russian-backed mercenaries repeatedly attacked the defenders of Luhanske, using infantry fighting vehicles' cannons, while the Ukrainian fortified positions near the town of Svitlodarsk, and the villages of Stanytsia Luhanska, Novotoshkivske, Krymske, Novoluhanske and Bohuslavske came under enemy fire mainly from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and small arms.

In the evening, the epicenter of armed instability shifted from the Mariupol sector to the outskirts of the town of Avdiyivka in the Donetsk sector. The invaders used grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms near the town and outside the village of Kamianka.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine returned fire 16 times in the past day, using weapons not banned by the Minsk accords.

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has said claims by the Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) concerning Ukrainian journalist Pavlo Sharoiko's spying in this country, as well as reports about his membership of the Main Intelligence Directorate are not true.

"On November 20, the Belarusian media circulated a statement of a spokesman of the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus about the involvement of Ukrainian journalist Pavlo Sharoiko in the formation of an intelligence network and holding intelligence activities on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. This statement also says that Sharoiko admitted that he is an employee of the Main Intelligence Directorate Ministry of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine. The Public Relations Service of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine has been authorized to state that ... this information is not true," the Main Intelligence Directorate said in a statement.

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During the working trip to Dnipro, President Petro Poroshenko visited the Alley of the fallen Heroes of the Revolution of Dignity and ATO warriors to honor their memory.

The President laid flowers and put icon lamps to the memorial sign dedicated to the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred and the granite slabs with embossed surnames of the fallen ATO warriors from Dnipropetrovsk region.

Resident of Dnipropetrovsk region Serhiy Nigoyan became the first fallen Hero of the Heavenly Hundred. From the beginning of the ATO, over 500 servicemen from Dnipropetrovsk region gave life for Ukraine’s independence and freedom.

"A total of 469 paratroopers have not returned from combat missions, died in fierce battles with Russian invaders," he said during events on the occasion of Paratroopers' Day on Kyiv's Mykhailivska Square. "For the courage and heroism shown in the battles with the Russian occupiers, 2,557 paratroopers received state awards, of whom 12 were marked by a Hero of Ukraine star," Poroshenko said.

Ukrainian paratroopers for the first time celebrate their professional holiday on November 21. From now on, the color of the Ukrainian paratroopers is maroon. This is the color of bloodshed in battles for Ukraine. Some 59 world countries, including 19 NATO member states, use maroon berets for identification of their paratroopers.

Insignia on the beret also changed. From now on, this is the dome of the parachute as a symbol of airborne units around the world, the wings of the Archangel Michael and the flaming sword with which he hits the enemies.

In connection with the fact that Belarus announced the adviser of the Ukrainian Embassy to Belarus Ihor Skvortsov persona non grata, Ukraine, guided by the principle of reciprocity, has expelled the Belarusian diplomat from the country, spokeswoman of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Mariana Betsa has said.

"Due to the fact that the Belarusian side declared Ukrainian diplomat persona non grata and expelled him, Ukraine, guided by the principle of reciprocity, has also expelled the Belarusian diplomat from the country," Betsa told Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.

Later the spokeswoman of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry clarified that the Belarusian diplomat who had been expelled from Ukraine was the first secretary of the Belarusian embassy to Ukraine, and he had already left Ukraine, but she did not give his last name.

"This is the first secretary of the embassy of Belarus to Ukraine, and he had already left the country," Betsa said on 112.Ukraine TV channel on Tuesday, adding that "this situation is connected with the case of Pavlo Sharoiko."

She explained why this diplomat was expelled from Ukraine. "As a rule, more or less equivalent positions are preserved in diplomatic practice when expelling diplomats," Betsa said.

At the same time, the spokeswoman of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry did not specify the name of the deported diplomat, as well as his post.

As reported, it was announced on November 17, that UA: Ukrainian Radio correspondent Sharoiko had been detained in Minsk on October 25.

On Monday, November 20, Belarusian KGB spokesman Dmitry Pobyarzhin said that the Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) had detained Ukrainian national Pavlo Sharoiko in Minsk on suspicion of "creating an agent network in the country." Sharoiko admitted that he is a Ukrainian intelligence officer. The detainee confirmed that the officer of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's main intelligence department Ihor Skvortsov, acting under the cover of the position of councilor at the Ukrainian embassy to Belarus, coordinated his intelligence activities, and for activity that is incompatible with his diplomatic status, Skvortsov was declared persona non grata.

An armored personnel carrier (APC) and armed people, some are equipped with hand grenade launchers, have been brought to the building of the former Ministry of Internal Affairs in the center of the Russian-occupied city of Luhansk, according to Radio Liberty journalist Andriy Dikhtyarenko.

"An APC has been brought to the 'Ministry of Internal Affairs' in Luhansk, the building is surrounded by armed people, some are carrying hand grenade launchers. ['Minister' Ihor] Kornet seems to have decided to 'appeal the decision of the court' about his dismissal from the post of minister. Now the main thing is that residents of neighboring houses do not become victims of 'the appeal.' These feuds are happening in the heart of the city," Dikhtyarenko wrote on Facebook.

According to unconfirmed reports, three military Ural trucks with the "security" militants, subordinated to the head of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") Alexander Zakharchenko, arrived in Luhansk from the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk. At the same time, according to journalist Denis Kazansky, it might be the "Big Brother" that has intervened in the feud of Plotnytskiy and Kornet.

"There are 'little green men' with white armbands in the city – the regular army of the Russian Federation entered Donbas with the same armbands in the summer of 2014. Perhaps, the 'Big Brother' has intervened in the conflict of Plotnytskiy and Kornet," he wrote on Facebook.

Leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LNR) Igor Plotnitsky has left Lugansk and is currently in Russia, Director of the Communication Department of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry Artem Shevchenko has said, citing his own sources.

"According to my sources, Luhansk terrorist leader Igor 'Plotva' Plotnitsky fled to Russia. Spiders in a jar continue to eat each other," Shevchenko wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday, November 21.

In this regard, he recalled that the first leader of Luhansk militants, Valery Bolotov, had also left the occupied Donbas and stayed for some time in the Russian capital, but "suddenly died there" on January 27, 2017.

Earlier on November 21, the press service of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine reported that its representatives had recorded the presence of military-type vehicles and armed men in Luhansk, as well as and a convoy of military style trucks, armored personnel carriers and civilian cars with armed men, which probably moved from separate districts of Donetsk region in the direction of Luhansk.

"Today in Luhansk city the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission observed the presence of military-type vehicles and armed men in the area around the building previously housing the Department of the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine in Luhansk region," the OSCE SMM reported on its Facebook page.

In addition, the press service reported that an SMM patrol observed a convoy of vehicles consisting of at least six military style trucks, two APCs, a mounted ZU-23 and over 20 civilian cars without registration plates with at least 50 armed men on the road near Debaltseve (Donetsk region).

"A similar convoy, likely the same was observed later by a different SMM patrol in Vesela Tarasivka (15km west of Luhansk) moving in the direction of Luhansk city," the report says.

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Given the escalation of the situation in certain districts of Luhansk region, President Petro Poroshenko held an extraordinary meeting of the Military Cabinet of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

The Head of State heard the report on the recent developments from the senior military officials, particularly as regards the illegal crossing of the Ukrainian border in Krasnodon district of Luhansk region by Russian tanks, as well as the increasing frequency of provocations by militants.

“Given the increasing number of Russian servicemen and intensification of the mercenaries’ activities, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are ready for any developments to guarantee security of civilians,” Petro Poroshenko emphasized.

The Head of State also instructed the Ukrainian representative in the Joint Control and Coordination Center for the issues of ceasefire and stabilization of the delimitation line to intensify interaction with the OSCE SMM and inform our western allies.

A video has been uploaded on social networks showing one of the militant commanders in the so-called “Luhansk People’s Republic” appealing to the self-proclaimed “leader” of the neighboring “Donetsk People’s Republic” (DPR) terrorist organization, Alexander Zakharchenko, to "revive ‘Novorossiya’."

In a video posted on YouTube, commander of LPR’s Bryanka battalion Dmitry Pindyurin believes that it is still necessary to create Novorossia, to be led by Zakharchenko. "Alexander Vladimirovich, I ask you to take under your leadership the ‘Luhansk People's Republic’ in order to implement the idea of 2014 to create ‘Novorossia’.

I ask all residents of Donbas to support my appeal to the ‘head’ of the Donetsk People's Republic," Pindyurin said.

As reported by Novaya Gazeta, forces of the so-called interior ministry of LPR and a Vityaz SWAT team from DPR on Wednesday raided the headquarters of the “prosecutor general’s office” of the LPR, effectively arresting all of its employees.

On November 20, LPR “leader” Igor Plotnitsky by his decree removed from post the so-called “interior minister” of the self-proclaimed “republic” Igor Kornet. The latter defied Plotnitsky’s order, while a group of armed men without insignia blocked access to administrative buildings downtown Luhansk and staff of de-facto power agencies were told to take a day off.

Commenting on the turmoil in the city center, Kornet claimed that the efforts have been foiled of a "Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group" and refuted reports on his resignation.

At the same time, Plotnitsky said that the “coup” in Luhansk was "an attempt of certain structures of the Interior Ministry in such a way to appeal the court decision and petition of the Committee of the LPR People's Council, while Kornet’s statements had no legal force.

It was also reported that Plotnitsky fled the area to Russia amid the unfolding conflict, but he later refuted these reports. The Kremlin does not comment on the conflict.

“We praise the US resolute support to Ukraine. We feel a particular attention of US Ambassador in development of US-Ukraine international cooperation”, Commandant of National Land Forces Academy Lt. Gen. Pavlo Tkachuk stressed during a briefing, “We felt the support from Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges. We are thankful for support, assistance and cooperation”.

Separate subunits of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have improved their tactical position in the Luhansk sector, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

"The AFU strictly adhere to the Minsk peace agreements, under the provisions of which they can strengthen or re-equip their positions, relocate within the areas defined by these agreements," the ATO HQ said.

This was done in order to improve the conditions for monitoring the enemy and returning fire in response to provocative shelling by the Russian occupation forces, it said.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian civil volunteer and activist Yuriy Mysyagin on Wednesday said the Ukrainian army had liberated several villages and taken control of several strategic heights at the Svitlodarska Duha bulge in Donbas, eastern Ukraine.

The situation in eastern Ukraine escalated most in the Luhansk sector in the last 24 hours after a skirmish broke out near the village of Krymske, which lasted about eight hours, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

"The Ukrainian troops killed four occupiers, another five were wounded during the fight near Krymske. Unfortunately, four of our heroes were killed and two were wounded," the report says. In addition, the Russian occupation forces shelled the Ukrainian fortified positions near Krymske, using 82mm mortars and light infantry weapons.

The enemy also opened fire from small arms and heavy machine guns to attack the defenders of the village of Novo-Oleksandrivka. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces stationed near the village of Luhanske, which is on the Svitlodarska Duha bulge, came under grenade launcher fire.

In Donetsk region, the situation was most tense in the Mariupol sector, where the Russian-backed mercenaries launched more than two dozen shells of different calibers. They also used infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers and small arms near the village of Pavlopil, as well as grenade launchers and heavy machine guns near the village of Vodiane.

"In general, the enemy violated the ceasefire seven times, including one skirmish. Almost in every case, the ATO forces fired back," the report reads.

"Unfortunately, five Ukrainian soldiers were killed, while another four were wounded in the past day. One soldier is in serious condition, three others are in satisfactory condition. The enemy's casualties include 17 people in the last day: eight killed and nine wounded," the ATO HQ added.

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In the course of combat clashes and shelling by Russian hybrid forces on November 23, five servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) area in Donbas and four more soldiers wounded, the press center of the ATO headquarters has reported.

"In general, seven violations of the ceasefire regime were recorded on the part of the enemy over the entire contact line during the past day, including one military clash. Almost in every case, servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces responded to the precision fire.

Unfortunately, five Ukrainian soldiers died during the past day, four others were injured. The condition of one serviceman is dire. The enemy's losses for these days is 17 people: eight killed and nine wounded," the ATO press centre said on Facebook on Friday morning.

Ukrainian troops have improved their tactical positions in the Luhansk sector, while respecting the Minsk agreements, the press center of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) headquarters has reported on Facebook.

"The Ukrainian Armed Forces strictly comply with the Minsk agreements, according to which they can fortify or re-equip their positions, and change their stationing within the territories defined by these agreements. Certain units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Luhansk sector improved their tactical positions to have better conditions for monitoring the enemy and firing back in response to provocative shelling of the Russian occupation forces," the press center said in a statement on Thursday, November 23.

Late on Wednesday, November 22, volunteer Yuriy Mysiahin reported on Facebook that at the Svitlodarsk Bulge, because of systematic shelling by militants from heavy weapons, "the military of various subdivisions of the 54th brigade and the 24th Aidar battalion were forced to plan and conduct a military operation."

"Several villages were liberated [from Russian-backed militants] as a result of a sudden military operation conducted by our units. The residents of these villages met our infantry soldiers as liberators. Several strategic heights were also taken under our control. As a result of this operation, we have new heights stretching out to a few square kilometers, where we have already successfully equipped our positions," the volunteer said.

The aggravation of the situation in Donbas is connected with the introduction of an additional contingent of the Russian army into the occupied territory, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces control the situation, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov has said.

"You have information that there are various conflict situations between different criminal groups that are part of the occupation administration in the occupied territories of the east of our country. In connection with this exacerbation, the Russian military leadership increased the military contingent that is on this territory. There are problematic issues, including those military clashes that we know about today ... This is a very difficult problem for us," Turchynov told reporters on Friday, commenting on loses of Ukrainian soldiers during clashes in eastern Ukraine over the past day.

He stressed that after the Russian Federation increased its military contingent in Donbas, it became clear "that there will be exacerbations, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces control the situation."

Turchynov expressed confidence that the Ukrainian Armed Forces "would not only repulse the provocations of Russian troops, but would also significantly improve their positions."

As reported, over the past day in the ATO zone as a result of a clash on the outskirts of Krymske, five Ukrainian soldiers were killed, four more were injured.

The Ukrainian side in the Trilateral Contact Group on the settlement of the conflict in Donbas is making every effort for the exchange of hostages, Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Valeria Lutkovska has said.

"The negotiating group is working to ensure the exchange [of hostages]. We are doing all we can for this. It's hard to say how much this situation [the conflict between "DPR" and "LPR"] will influence the swap," Lutkovska told Channel 5.

She said that the Ukrainian side proposed to exchange 306 people for 76 Ukrainian hostages.

"Unfortunately, the visits to Ukraine and Russia that we conducted with [Russian human rights commissioner] Tatyana Moskalkova have currently stopped," Lutkovska added.

As reported, Ukrainian Choice – Right of the People NGO leader Viktor Medvedchuk said on November 23 that it was currently impossible to exchange all prisoners and expected the first stage of the swap to take place according to the "306 for 74" formula.

"The Minsk agreements provide for exchanging prisoners 'all for all.' There are today 386 persons held in Ukraine sought by the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR/LPR). There are currently 157 persons sought by Ukraine in DPR/LPR, of whom 94 have been confirmed. However, Ukraine cannot carry out the exchange because of legislation. So we can't exchange all these people, while DPR/LPR want to exchange everyone," Medvedchuk told the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper in an interview published on Thursday.

He added that his appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin was intended to facilitate a proportional exchange, as a first step within the "all for all" framework.

"Therefore, in line with this proposition, which Putin and Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill supported, we are counting on DPR/LPR releasing 74 persons in exchange for 306 persons held in Ukraine," Medvedchuk said.

Two servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, who were presumed dead during a military clash with the enemy near Krymske on November 24, have returned to their units, the press center of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) headquarters has reported.

"In general, 17 ceasefire violations by militants have been recorded along the entire contact line over the past day. In more than half of cases the servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces gave the enemy an adequate response," the press center reported on its Facebook page on Saturday.

In the Luhansk sector, illegal armed groups violated the Minsk agreements at the Svitlodarsk Bulge in the evening. Ukrainian fortified positions near Novoluhanske came under 120mm mortar fire. Illegal armed groups also repeatedly fired at the defenders of Luhanske from mortars, grenade launchers, IFV weapons and small arms. Several times the enemy opened fire on the positions of Ukrainian soldiers near Lozove.

In the Donetsk sector, militants fired at the defenders of Pisky from 82mm mortars, the defenders of Avdiyivka and Butivka mine from large-caliber machine guns and small arms, and they also used grenade launchers and IFV weapons on the outskirts of Berezove.

"Despite the fact that the enemy continues to fire at our positions, the situation is under full control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," reads the report.

As a result of enemy attacks, there have bene no losses among Ukrainian fighters over the past 24 hours.

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 12 times in the past 24 hours, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

It is noted that a significant part of the enemy armed provocations occurred after dark.

In the Luhansk sector, the enemy shelled the Ukrainian positions mainly from light infantry weapons. In particular, grenade launchers and small arms of the enemy were used against the defenders of the towns of Zolote and Svitlodarsk, and the villages of Zhovte, Travneve and twice Krymske. In the afternoon, the Russian-backed mercenaries lobbed several 82mm shells near the village of Troikhizbenka.

"In the Donetsk sector, the illegal armed groups fired 82mm mortars on the fortified positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the villages of Verkhniotoretske and Vodiane. They also opened fire from infantry weapons near the towns of Avdiyivka and Maryinka. In the Mariupol sector, the enemy fired from an anti-aircraft gun and small arms near the village of Hnutove," the report says.

According to the ATO headquarters, the flights of enemy UAVs, banned by the Minsk agreements, were recorded near Avdiyivka several times during the day.

"Given the scale of enemy attacks, the Ukrainian military suppressed the enemy's fire almost in every case. None of Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded in action amid the [past day's] hostilities," the press center said.

Saboteurs have attacked a missile-artillery armament depot in Donetsk region, resulting in one Ukrainian soldier being wounded, according to a spokesperson for Ukraine's Defense Ministry.

"In the area of the withdrawal of one of the divisions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Dobropillia district of Donetsk region, unidentified perpetrators fired automatic weapons and wounded a security guard at the missile-artillery armament depot," Defense Ministry's Press Secretary for Anti-Terrorist Operation issues Andriy Lysenko has said at a briefing in Kyiv, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

The reserve unit was swiftly deployed at the scene, successfully repelling the attack of the subversive group, according to Lysenko.

"The wounded soldier was admitted at a mobile military hospital in the town of Pokrovsk, his life is not in danger," says the report.

A video earlier published by "LPR" terrorists shows an OSCE representative was spotted saluting a militant of the so-called "Luhansk People's Republic" ("LPR") and shaking hands with him while taking back the remains of the slain Ukrainians.

"Maybe the OSCE SMM can explain why its 'civilian monitor' performs a military salute to the LPR war criminal commander?!," Germany's Bild journalist Julian Roepcke wrote on Twitter. In turn, the OSCE SMM to Ukraine published a clarification on Facebook in response to the said claim.

“In response to erroneous interpretation of video footage showing an SMM monitor facilitating the hand-over of the remains of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers near Shchastia on 25 November, the SMM would like to clarify:

The man the SMM monitoring officer is seen to greet is a member of an organization involved in exhumations, and the transfer/exchange of bodies and prisoners/detainees; the monitoring officer in question has worked alongside this individual and organization since 2015 to ensure captured combatants can return home, or that grieving families can find some degree of closure following the loss of loved ones. While video footage appears to show a lapse in judgment on the part of the monitoring officer in question – something that is being addressed internally to ensure there is no repetition – focus on this one reflexive gesture is regrettable.

The gesture was an involuntary one, typical of many people who have previously served in the armed forces; it does not in any way suggest endorsement or even sympathy for any position or viewpoint. It certainly does not detract from the important work the monitoring officer and his colleagues were engaged in at the time," the OSCE SMM to Ukraine wrote on Facebook.

Officers of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) jointly with police have detained a spy of the so-called "Republican Guard" of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") near the town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region.

"A resident of the town of Makiyivka joined an illegal armed formation in 2014. He was trained under the guidance of Russian instructors. The terrorist participated in military operations against the [Ukrainian Anti-Terrorist Operation] ATO forces near the town of Debaltseve in 2015," the SBU's press center said on Monday.

The SBU revealed that the criminal, being part of an organized criminal group, also controlled illegal coal mining, currency exchange, and appropriated humanitarian aid, real estate and vehicles of civilians.

He was detained amid an attempt to enter the Ukrainian-controlled area for the creation of an agent network.

The detainee was notified of suspicion in committing crime under Article 258-3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (the creation of a terrorist group or terrorist organization) and remanded in custody.

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 22 times in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

"Russian occupation troops continue to violate the ceasefire along the entire contact line. Compared with the past day, the number of enemy's armed provocations has increased. The illegal armed groups attacked the Ukrainian fortified positions 22 times, repeatedly employing mortars of various calibers," the report says. In the Luhansk sector, the enemy lobbed about two dozen mortar mines near the villages of Lozove, Triokhizbenka and Krymske.

The outskirts of the villages of Luhanske, Lobacheve, Lopaskyne and Zaitseve were shot at with light infantry weapons.

In the Donetsk sector, the enemy focused its main fire activity in the Mariupol sector. Occupiers repeatedly fired grenade launchers and small arms on the defenders of the villages of Vodiane and Hnutove.

Moreover, militants opened fire from 120mm mortars and infantry fighting vehicles near the village of Pavlopil.

The Russian-backed mercenaries also carried out target attacks from light infantry weapons and heavy machine guns on the Ukrainian fortified positions near the towns of Maryinka and Krasnohorivka.

Furthermore, the Ukrainian positions near the town of Avdiyivka and the village of Kamianka came under fire from grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms. Ukrainian troops returned fire 13 times, reads the report.

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28 November 2017 War

Early on Tuesday, militants started shelling the villages of Travneve and Hladosove in Donetsk region, the Ukrainian members of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) have reported on the official Facebook page of the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

"The Ukrainian side of the JCCC reports: in violation of the provided security guarantees, this morning, November 28, 2017, the illegal armed formations began the shelling of the villages of Travneve and Hladosove (Donetsk region)," the report says.

The Ukrainian side of the JCCC stresses that such actions by the enemy are regarded as another provocation aimed at discrediting the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the ATO zone and hindering access of observers from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission and representatives of the UN mission who planned to monitor the humanitarian situation and the situation with ceasefire violations by militants in these settlements.

It is also noted that the Ukrainian side of the JCCC condemns the moves of the illegal armed groups who shell settlements thus endangering the life and health of the civilian population.

"Such actions by militant leadership show their will to further escalate the conflict, unwillingness to observe ceasefire, and deliberate non-compliance with the Minsk agreements," the report says.

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United States Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker says Ukraine has own requirements adopted under the Minsk peace agreements on Donbas, they are, among other things, a special status and limited amnesty for Russian-backed militants, according to the Ukrainian news portal LB.ua.

"The second thing I would also strongly recommend and highlight for everyone in Ukraine – whether it's the government, the Rada or the public – is that the Minsk agreements have requirements of the Russians of course on security: ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons, restoring control of the territory, but there are also requirements that Ukraine has adopted as well. And these are things such as a special status, holding of local elections, limited amnesty for people who have committed some of the crimes as part of the conflict," he told LB.ua in an exclusive interview.

"Those things will be a responsibility of Ukraine to implement if the conditions are established for Ukraine to do so. And so it is a matter of being prepared for Ukraine also to follow through – should we get to the point where we have a peacekeeping force and there is growing security," he said.

He also said that the militant forces in Donbas are under Russian control.

"First off, there is very clear that there is Russian command and control over the forces in the conflict area. Also, the civilian authorities are there with the full support and backing of Russia," he said. "And the clear decision-maker here is President Putin. I don't believe President Putin has made a final decision what he wants to do here and we're hopeful that we can reach an agreement that seems to serve everyone's interests for Ukraine, for Russia, for the Western community as well."

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In the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, there are more than 35,000 armed militants, including local residents and mercenaries, as well as regular servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Interior Minister of Ukraine Arsen Avakov said.

"The first Army Corps in Donetsk and the second Army Corps in Luhansk are operating ... There are more than 35,000 people in the east of Ukraine," the Interior Minister said during the National Expert Forum "Ukraine: In Pursuance of Balance" in Kyiv on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and Microsoft Ukraine on November 27, 2017 signed a memorandum of cooperation intending to cooperate in the introduction of modern information technologies in the defense sphere, taking into account NATO standards and approaches.

The IT department of the Ministry of Defense reported on Tuesday that this envisages the application of existing experience of Microsoft's cooperation with armed forces of NATO member countries, European Union countries and the United States to the building of the protected IT infrastructure of the Defense Ministry, the introduction of IT defense systems and provision for the required level of their security, as well as support in training IT specialists of the ministry.

United States Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker says Ukraine has own requirements adopted under the Minsk peace agreements on Donbas, they are, among other things, a special status and limited amnesty for Russian-backed militants, according to the Ukrainian news portal LB.ua.

"The second thing I would also strongly recommend and highlight for everyone in Ukraine – whether it's the government, the Rada or the public – is that the Minsk agreements have requirements of the Russians of course on security: ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons, restoring control of the territory, but there are also requirements that Ukraine has adopted as well. And these are things such as a special status, holding of local elections, limited amnesty for people who have committed some of the crimes as part of the conflict," he told LB.ua in an exclusive interview.

"Those things will be a responsibility of Ukraine to implement if the conditions are established for Ukraine to do so. And so it is a matter of being prepared for Ukraine also to follow through – should we get to the point where we have a peacekeeping force and there is growing security," he said.

He also said that the militant forces in Donbas are under Russian control.

"First off, there is very clear that there is Russian command and control over the forces in the conflict area. Also, the civilian authorities are there with the full support and backing of Russia," he said. "And the clear decision-maker here is President Putin. I don't believe President Putin has made a final decision what he wants to do here and we're hopeful that we can reach an agreement that seems to serve everyone's interests for Ukraine, for Russia, for the Western community as well."

In his earlier interviews with the U.S. edition of the POLITICO magazine, Volker said it is very likely that the fighting in Donbas will continue a year from now. He also said he supports shipments of U.S. lethal weapons to Ukraine to counter Russian aggression.

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Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 27 times in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and another two as wounded in action (WIA), according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters.

In the Luhansk sector, the enemy continues to provoke Ukrainian servicemen to an armed confrontation at the Svitlodarska Duha bulge. In the evening hours of Tuesday, the enemy fired mainly light infantry weapons on the defenders of the villages of Zaitseve, Novoluhanske and several times Travneve.

In the morning, militants shelled the Ukrainian fortified positions between the villages of Zaitseve and Hladosove, employing mortars, grenade launchers, small arms, and infantry fighting vehicles.

The ATO headquarters noted that through these provocations, the illegal armed groups disrupted the visit of the OSCE SMM monitors and representatives of the UN mission, who planned to monitor the humanitarian situation in Travneve and Hladosove.

"These armed provocations by the Russian mercenaries are aimed primarily at discrediting the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the eyes of the world community in order to blame the ATO forces for the allegedly difficult humanitarian situation in these settlements," the report says.

In this regard, the ATO headquarters reports that a temporary humanitarian center has been established in Travneve by the forces of Civil-Military Cooperation to improve the delivery of drinking water, restore power supplies and a number of other vital issues for the local civilian population.

In addition, in the Luhansk sector, the Russian occupation forces used mortars of various calibers near the village of Triokhizbenka, as well as grenade launchers and small arms against the Ukrainian fortified positions near the villages of Zhovte, Novo-Oleksandrivka and Katerynivka.

In the Donetsk sector, a shelling of the Ukrainian positions by an enemy sniper was recorded near the town of Avdiyivka for several hours. The occupiers also violated the ceasefire near the village of Berezove, using infantry weapons.

In the Mariupol sector, the enemy opened fire from grenade launchers of various types and small arms near the villages of Hnutove and Vodiane, as well as infantry fighting vehicles near the village of Shyrokyne.

The Ukrainian servicemen fired back 11 times in last day.

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The command of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine says the visit of the USS James E. Williams DDG95 destroyer to Odesa demonstrates the U.S. Navy's support of Ukraine, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

It is noted that the Ukrainian Navy's command sees the visit of the American vessel as an important event that shows ongoing support from the U.S. Navy.

According to First Deputy Commander of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Rear Admiral Andriy Tarasov, the Ukrainian Navy is actively cooperating with the peers from the United States in reform and training of personnel, and is grateful to the Americans for their help.

According to First Deputy Commander of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Rear Admiral Andriy Tarasov, the Ukrainian Navy is actively cooperating with the peers from the United States in reform and training of personnel, and is grateful to the Americans for their help.

"The importance of permanent contacts of the two countries' fleets can't be emphasized too strongly at the phase when the national fleet has been rebuilding its capacity after its redeployment to mainland Ukraine in 2014 as a result of the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation," Tarasov said. According to him, the Ukrainian side considers cooperation to be very effective as part of the Sea Breeze drills (where other fleets are invited to participate in it), which contribute to a more stable and secure situation in the Black Sea region.

According to him, the Ukrainian side considers cooperation to be very effective as part of the Sea Breeze drills (where other fleets are invited to participate in it), which contribute to a more stable and secure situation in the Black Sea region. He also noted that over the past year, there have been about 10 visits of U.S. Navy ships and ships of the fleets of partner countries to the port of Odesa, which, he said, is "unconditional proof of support." The v would tentatively last until December 2, the command's press service said.

The Odesa port's press service said in turn that the ship had been brought into the port water area and moored to the 16th berth of the sea terminal by pilot Viacheslav Bespalov. The "Novator" and "Stividor" tugs of the port fleet were used to perform the tow-mooring operation.

The destroyer entered the Black Sea on November 26, nine days after its visit to the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and the subsequent patrolling in the Red Sea. "The call of the ship to the Odesa port took place one day later than planned because of the storm," the press service added.

The USS James E. Williams (DDG95) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy.